Little Ties
by SushiChica
Summary: In growing up with friends, there are millions of bonds to be made, broken, and mended. Romance lives and dies, but in the end there will always be those little ties that bind. 100 bits of friendship and love. Assorted Pairings Drabbles and Oneshots
1. Beginnings

**Prompt 1:** Beginnings  
_Set just after 'Sisters'._

_--_

Despite what people seemed to think, growing up with Azarathian priests had not made Raven a _complete _cynic. Oh, she'd always have her doubts about some things, like the validity of Beast Boy's claim that he once beat Cyborg twelve times in a row at DDR, but the "rust bucket" had accidentally (or, perhaps, purposefully) sat on the remote and erased the scores. But there were, however, certain superstitions that the empath would always hold dear.

Watching the sunrise was one of them.

The sky was still dark as Raven climbed the stairs leading to the roof of Titans Tower, her cloak billowing dramatically behind her. Arella had always taught her that one could tell what the day had in store simply by observing occurrences that lay within the hour that the sun rose, the beginnings of the day. Since this time was normally when tie Titans were still asleep, Raven turned to another seemingly accurate indicator thus far.

The weather.

It didn't matter how the weather turned out, her mother had told her, only how it began. If a day started out overcast but eventually became sunny, the former would take precedence and the day was bound to go downhill from there. The converse also held true. This rule, this ritual that Raven had practiced since her days in the Azarathian temples had never left the empathic teen, and every morning she'd climb the long stairs to the top of the Tower just before the sun rose.

Sometimes Raven wondered whether or not her little superstition that she'd become so dependent upon was all in her head, like the way other people put so much faith in those little zodiac scrolls sold at liquor stores and super markets. Perhaps when she saw the first shining rays of the sun before it was enveloped by stormy clouds, her mind was prematurely set to pick out the highlights of the day, and automatically considered those coming twenty four hours good without having truly experienced them. It was a question that Raven pondered now, as she took a seat near the edge of the Tower.

She didn't levitate; she didn't feel the need to. This wasn't a matter of meditation, it was merely a means to an end. Why did she bother following this odd practice anyways? Whatever happened would happen, so why did she feel the need to know in advance? For a reason she couldn't quite explain, the empath realized that she took comfort in knowing how her day was going to go. That wasn't to say she wanted to have every detail of her life shoved in her face in neon lights; anything but. Her only desire was to potentially prepare herself for what-might-be.

Whether or not sitting on the roof of the Tower and watching the sun rise or allow itself to be hidden was a form of prediction was questionable to Raven, and often so. And yet there were some days, days like the past three mornings, when the weathers' daily 

forecast seemed all too accurate. The beginnings of each of the past three days had been stormy and dark, not a ray of sun to grace Jump City's shore nor Titans Island. The afternoons often turned out to be pleasant enough, but that didn't change the fact that yesterday Raven had been betrayed by someone she'd put her faith in.

Again.

Oh, certainly, she'd first thought that Malchior of her ancient texts was the proof she needed to discredit her silly morning practices, but he only ended up proving them to be all too accurate and, following his treachery, Raven continued her daily journey to the roof to watch the sunrise weather.

Golden rays had just begun to reach over the horizon, the first seen in three days, and Raven watched with a serene yet solemn expression. Could this be the beginnings of a good day?

"Raven? Dude, it's like, two in the morning! What're you doing up here?"

Or not.

The empath turned to face her green teammate Beast Boy, more than slightly annoyed that she'd been interrupted.

"It's six," she spat, shooting daggers at him. The changeling didn't notice as he sat down beside her.

"Same difference," Beast Boy shrugged. Raven shook her head and turned to face the sun again, thinking that perhaps if she ignored him, he'd go away.

"So how're you feeling?" Beast Boy poked her in the shoulder tentatively, as though this would ease her irritation with him. "Y'know, after the whole Malchior turning out to be a giant di-"

"I'm _fine_," she snapped, her smoldering gaze flickering towards him for a quick second before returning to the sun that was slowly but surely rising with a glaring brilliance.

So much for the beginnings of a good day.

A silence fell between them as they sat beside one another, but it wasn't a comfortable one.

"…Hey Raven?"

"What?" She didn't look at him.

"It's…it's gonna be okay." Beast Boy's words were slightly unexpected, if not startling to the empath, and she tore her gaze away from the sky to regard him with a slightly less fiery glance.

"Yeah, I know."

The sun was now shimmering above their heads, a new silence falling upon the two friends; one of trust and solace. It was because of this that Raven trusted today, judging by its comforting beginnings, would be good.

--

_I won't let you fall apart.  
_**-The Fragile/Nine Inch Nails-**


	2. Hours

**Prompt 2:** Hours  
_Set early in "Betrayal", before Terra is extracted._

--

The wall mounted clock in the star-dotted room ominously hit 5:02 PM, and Terra heaved a weighted sigh at the sight of it.

Three hours. Three measly hours. That was all that remained of her stay with the Titans. Not that they knew it. _She_ hadn't even been told of her extraction until just moments ago, when she'd contacted Slade with the access codes and schematics of Titans Tower. As far as Slade was concerned, she'd just sent her confirmation of his plan; his sick and twisted plan, that she'd willingly partaken in. She could distinctly remember the buzzing at the base of her skull as she loaded the data from Cyborg's prized computer onto a tiny disk, then transferred a copy to her boss, although she wasn't sure whether the feeling was that of guilt or excitement.

That wasn't to say she didn't have her regrets, but her reasons outweighed her regrets ten to one. It was almost ironic. The whole reason she'd agreed to partner with Slade was to earn approval from the very people she'd eventually condemn to death. She devoted so much to gain just a few short glimpses at having true friends; a family. Oh, Terra knew she'd have to destroy the picture perfect image in her mind as soon as Slade came trooping in, but for now…it was a nice thought.

The things she regretted most, unfortunately, was the people she would be betraying. Despite her pending but probable blow to their defense and psyche as a whole, she still wished there was something she could do to stop it. After all, they'd taken her in with no reason to trust her. It was her own fault that she couldn't control her powers. Robin had always been so strong and willing to help in her daily improvement and making sure everything ran smoothly in Terra's transition into Titans Tower. Starfire was so kind and open, willing to share Tamaranian advice for whatever problem the Terra had, and the earthmover appreciated it, however outlandish the alien's words were. Of course, there was Cyborg too, constantly there to cheer her on in training and pizza eating tournaments, keeping her spirits up and her head high, even when she didn't do so well on course runs. Despite all that, they were not the ones weighing so heavily on Terra's mind.

Raven…was a curiosity to say the least. The girl who had started out so untrusting, so distant, so cold, was actually trying to forge a bond. There was no doubt that the empath remained distant, to say the least, but she was definitely less frigid than before. Just this afternoon Raven had offered her a book, saying that sometimes the Tower could get boring, hard as it was to imagine, and a good novel was always handy for times such as those. She'd even gone through her mountains of books to find one Terra might relate to and actually _enjoy_, something about a desert wanderer finding peace at last when he found his family. The blond girl was unsure whether she was supposed to take the contents of the book as a generosity or a sting, but the look in Raven's eyes had been genuine. The empath was really trying to bridge the gap between them.

The volume sat beside Terra on her bed; she'd dropped it there before going to hack the Titan database. Thinking of it now made her smile slightly, though she was torn between feeling touched by Raven's act of peace and amused at her stupidity; being kind to someone who was willingly signing her death contract in exchange for stabilized powers and ultimate acceptance from the very people she would eventually destroy.

Terra felt tears ebbing at the edges of her eyes, which surprised her. Who'd have thought that the witch, of all people, would elicit her compassion? Even so, it was like two radically different people were controlling her mind at the same exact time, and each was fighting for dominance. Part of her pitied the Titans; loved them for the wonderful people they were and wanted desperately to save them from a fate that she, Terra, was sealing. The other half of her was enjoying the power she'd acquired by doing so, and laughed at how easy it was to lead each of the Titans blind in a deadly dance of false trust.

_Just three hours…that's all there was left…three short hours left of her lies…and it would all be over._

Beast Boy. Oh, God, Beast Boy. The very thought of him, all he'd done for her and all she was about to do to him, caused her lungs to buckle and deflate. He was the biggest regret of them all. Just ten minutes ago he'd come up to her, baring his heart to her. She, in turn, had tossed it to the floor. She wanted so badly for everything to be normal between them…everything to be okay and not twisted by lies and greed and power.

_But he's so gullible. How could he not see through her?_

Part of her found a sick satisfaction in playing him; in making him fall in love with her while she betrayed everything he held dear. There was no denying that. The rest of her, however, really liked him. She did. She loved his smile, his childish eagerness, and his corny jokes. He was always trying to make someone smile, and there was no doubt that Terra felt a certain degree of warmth when his attentions were turned on her. He was quite possibly the nicest person she'd ever met, the person who'd been kindest to her…

_And you're going to hurt him for your own selfish indulgences, despite your feelings for him?_

Terra had never wished more than now that she possessed the ability to tell herself to shut up.

_Three tiny, short, miniscule, rapidly passing hours…_

Terra looked up at the clock on the wall. Six minutes had passed since she last checked. Who was she kidding, anyways? Each second felt like a century, each minute an eternity. She couldn't even find the words to describe how long an hour would take to pass in her convoluted perspective. All these hours were torturing her; making her pay in advance for the betrayal she'd eventually inflict. Part of her welcomed the redemption from her past and future crimes. The rest of her snarled at it with pained fury.

The tears were returning, much to her displeasure. They disobediently slid down her cheeks, and she cursed their visibility as it only made her feel more vulnerable. Then, before either half of Terra could protest, she wiped her eyes, hopped off her bed, and went in search of Beast Boy. She'd take him up on his offer, she decided, although she was unsure her motives were entirely pure. Part of her was using him as a way to get rid of all those damning hours, but her other side only wanted to spare Beast boy from what was to come.

Most people complained about never having enough hours in a given day. Terra, however, found that sometimes there were several hours too many.

--

_I wish you were a stranger I could disengage.  
_**-Cable Car/The Fray-**


	3. Red

**Prompt 3:** Red_  
__Set just after 'X'._

--

Sometimes Red X wondered what it would be like to change; not just to _play_ hero but to _be_ one. It was an outlandish thought in a world so black and white; once a criminal, always a criminal, right? Innocents would more likely club him over the head than cheer him on as he 'saved the day'. It never was and never would be an option for him, and Red X knew that. But sometimes, when the moon was full and the night was still, he would picture himself as someone worth looking up to. Someone good.

Someone like Robin.

There were many things Red X lacked; three square meals a day, a proper place to sleep every night…sleep in general, really. But if there was one thing that he truly desired, it was the friendship Robin had fostered with his Titans. They weren't just a team, they were a family. Maybe if he'd had a group of friends like Robin did, Red X wouldn't have turned out the way he did. Maybe he'd be admired. He'd become a criminal for that very reason, really. After all, better to be infamous than not famous at all. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was no point in admiration if there was no one to share it with.

Robin had Beast Boy. The funny jokester. The one to keep the team smiling. Certainly he could be annoying at times, but he had a sturdy smile and a genuine feel to him. He balanced the Boy Wonder out nicely, and the thief was sure that it was appreciated.

Robin had Raven. She gave Red X shivers, and not in a good way, but he doubted that she was like that around her friends. Despite her less-than-cool aura, she seemed like the type who could really take the time and understand when something was wrong. Perhaps even how to fix it. Or, at the very least, make an effort to help.

Robin had Cyborg. Oh, they had their rivalries to be sure, but at the end of the day Red X had no doubt that the two teammates trusted one another completely. He'd seen them fight together, eat together, laugh together. When the time came, they'd be there for one another.

Robin had Starfire. How a guy could get that lucky was beyond Red X. He saw the way the alien princess looked at her leader, the small smiles and the quick glances. It was undeniable, the way her eyes followed him about a room. The thief had always prided himself in being a generally emotionless individual, good for being a criminal in general, but when it came to Starfire…things got a bit difficult.

Robin had it all. Sometimes Red X wondered if the Titans leader could see it.

The thief watched carefully from a safe distance as lights danced atop Titans Tower. It seemed that the team had decided to dine on the roof late in the night. Perhaps a long day of crime fighting had driven them to put off their evening meal. Whatever the reason, five friends gathered together on the roof of their home to enjoy the company 

of one another. He'd never admit it, but Red X never wished more desperately than now that he was one of them.

It was nights like this that Red X realized that he was neither black nor white, despite the confinements society placed on its people.

He was simply red.

--

_And I'm sorry, so sorry, I'm sorry it's like this.  
_**-They/Jem-**


	4. Purple

**Prompt 4: **Purple

_--_

Raven's color was purple. It always had been, and it probably always would be.

Her eyes were violet, her hair a mere shade lighter. Cyborg had once commented that her room looked as though someone had drenched the walls and furniture, not to mention her wardrobe, in various shades of indigo. Hell, even her shampoo was a soft lavender color. It was almost common knowledge, not just to her fellow Titans but to any and everyone who'd ever heard of the team. Robin was red. Cyborg was blue. Beast Boy was green. Starfire was orange. And Raven?

Raven was purple. That was the way she liked it.

The empath touched the smooth silk of the strapless dress that hugged her small frame; ran her thumb along the hemline that barely skimmed her knee. Starfire had helped her pick the dress out for this particular evening, insisting that it looked _wonderful_ on Raven, but she almost felt uncomfortable in it. She wasn't used to being so…exposed, and she longed for darker, more familiar colors. But maybe, like Starfire had said, it was time for a change, no matter how unnerving the change might be.

"Raven?" A knock came from her door. "You ready?"

"I guess," she let the cold slab of metal slide to the left, even more anxious than when she had first put the dress on. Robin stood before her, and she could immediately feel his gaze tracing her figure, eyeing the dress in particular. Raven regarded her boyfriend with a small smile at his slow reaction. "Do I look ridiculous?"

"Hardly," the Titan leader took her hand and kissed her fingertips, and Raven could feel a blush creeping across her cheeks. "You look…special."

"Special?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Yeah. Special."

Out of the corner of her eye, Raven could see Starfire peeking at them from behind her bedroom door. She was smiling. And winking, something Beast Boy had taught her how to do ages ago. And at that very moment she knew and was glad that tonight, her color wasn't purple.

It was a silky, beautiful crimson red, a color that made her look, and perhaps even feel, special.

--

_Let go, it's gonna be alright.  
_**-Hold On/BWitched-**


	5. Friends

**Prompt 5:** Friends  
_Set just after 'Masks'._

--

Robin had always prided himself in knowing that his team was his family; a family of best friends. The Justice League was the ultimate team, it was often said, and the Teen Titans were the ultimate family. But right now, Robin wasn't sure the latter still applied.

One mistake. One stupid mistake and everything he'd built with the Titans; all the trust and the love and the friendship was gone. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid, sacrificing everything for a lost cause. Of course Slade would know. Slade was no idiot. Slade was Slade. And yet Robin had assumed him to be less than his reputation and lost not only his pride but his family in the process.

They'd all taken turns yelling at him in their own ways. Cyborg was furious that Robin hadn't thought to consult the team, who could've helped more than hurt because that's what friends were for. Starfire had unintentionally sliced him with quiet words of disappointment. Raven had called him every long synonym for 'stupid' she could think of without consulting her thesaurus and, once he had looked up all the words she had used, Beast Boy had let out a hearty 'Yeah, what she said!' in agreement.

Robin didn't blame them for being angry, though. He would've been beyond pissed if he'd been in their positions. They were right; he wasn't just overly-involved in Slade's case. He was obsessed. It was pretty much safe to think in his mind that Robin was friendless from then on, and that thought made him feel more lost than before.

Which is why the knock on his bedroom door at half past eight had come as such a surprise.

It was Cyborg.

"I brought you some pizza," the robotic man said, handing Robin a plate with three slices of pepperoni. The Boy Wonder looked down at the food being offered to him. Pepperoni was his favorite.

"…Why?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Cyborg raised his human eyebrow, "Because you were too busy brooding to come down for dinner, and if you don't eat you'll starve?"

"You care whether or not I starve?"

"Uh…yeah?" The taller boy pushed the plate into Robin's hands. "It's what friends do, man. They care."

"I still have friends?"

"You screwed up. It happens to all of us. Sure you screwed up worse than most people usually do, and yeah we're pissed, but you're still Robin. Our friend. We'll get over it." Robin watched as Cyborg attempted a smile. "Hurry up and eat the pizza before you miss movie night and we have to watch another lame flick BB picks out. You know how he gets."

Suddenly Robin remembered who Cyborg was as he slowly reached forward to receive the plate and take a bite of pizza; the tin man with a heart. And at that moment he knew what he should've known all along. Despite his mistakes, everything was going to be okay. He still had friends and that was all that seemed to matter.

--

_Where are you gonna be when the sky falls down?_  
-**When It All Goes Wrong Again/Everclear-**


	6. Teammates

**Prompt 6: **Teammates

_--_

The Teen Titans were co-workers. They fought when they had to fight, maintained cover when necessary, and though sometimes it could be difficult, they kept their personal conflicts off the field. Well, for the most part. They had special combination attacks, functioned harmoniously, like clockwork, and heaven help the soul who doubted that Robin had them training any less than four hours a day.

The Teen Titans were friends. Raven gave in to Starfire's shopping whims and Starfire spent hours reading up on the art of meditation in hopes of sparing Raven the need to explain every little detail. Cyborg was there to listen and help when Robin got so stressed out that he needed to beat something with a heavy, blunt object, when Raven had a particularly bad headache, or when Beast Boy couldn't figure out how to get to the next level of Super Earthworm 2.

The Teen Titans were their own worst enemies. Living together sometimes meant personalities clashing, interests colliding, and any number of food fights due to a difference in eating choices. Worse than the common argument, they knew each other well, too well, and one of the most frightfully obvious ideals about them was that they knew each other's weaknesses; they knew how to strike where it hurt. Robin had used it against them once. There was no denying that it could happen again. And in addition to being the tofu advocate for the team, Beast Boy was also the resident prankster, which at the wrong moment could drive anyone's blood pressure up a notch. There was nothing more dangerous than the Titans at war with one another.

The Teen Titans were family. Not by blood, but it was the closest thing any of them had to a normal, functioning family unit. They took turns making meals and washing dishes. They fought over who got to use the shower first. Starfire was always there to provide a hug when a hug was required. And when a day of crime fighting was all said and done, they'd sit down in the living room together and watch a movie (although the selection in itself was always a reason for argument, as with most families).

The Teen Titans were teammates. They laughed together, cried together, celebrated together, fought together, fell together, conquered together. Though they were five incredibly different individuals, they lived together as one. Occasionally a conflicted one, granted, a single entity regardless. And that in itself was above and beyond anything that any of them had ever hoped for.

--

_We are.  
_**-We Are/Ana-**


	7. Sunrise

**Prompt 7:** Sunrise  
_Set just after 'Sisters'._

--

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Starfire's head jerked up from where it had previously perched on her knees. "I am sorry, what was it that you said?"

Beside her, Robin was hunched over with his arms extended to support his weight. "The sunrise. It's beautiful." They sat together at the edge of the Tower observing the horizon.

"_Beautiful_," the alien girl mused softly. "That is a strange expression from someone such as yourself." She gave her friend a curious look. "I have not heard you use it often. Or even at all."

Robin's mouth twitched in the slightest hint of a smirk. "I guess it's not something I'm really used to saying. Not a lot of beauty in crime fighting."

"And yet?" He couldn't help but wonder how her mildly inquisitive glance compelled him to speak more than he usually would to anyone else he'd ever met.

"I don't know, Star. I guess I just kind of have a thing for sunrises."

"You find them beautiful?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Raven was wrong, then."

Robin raised an eyebrow at his friend's remark, "What did Raven say?"

"She told me that you are an insufferable, egotistical, brooding, solitary individual without the ability to find things beautiful or remarkable or interesting at all.  
Starfire stated matter-of-factly, almost as though she didn't quite understand the full extent of her, or rather Raven's, words. The almost invisible smile she seemed to be trying to fight off told Robin otherwise.

"Should I even bother asking how I came up in a conversation between you and Raven?"

Starfire seemed hesitant to answer, but finally spoke, ever so softly, "I asked if you were always so…cold." Her expression was somewhat regretful, apologetic, but in a way almost pleading. "That was Raven's response. Perhaps…perhaps you could provide one of your own?"

There were not many times in which Robin was rendered speechless, yet Starfire's words had seemingly removed all traces of the English language clear from his mind. Seeing his difficulty in responding, the alien girl continued hastily, as though attempting to right a wrong.

"That is not to say I find you to be cold at all times, but I cannot help but take note of times in which you block everyone out and distance yourself to such an extent that I wonder if perhaps you will simply leave us and never return. And while I do hope that may never be the case, part of me wishes that I could…try to…_understand_ these cold, separated times. I do not mean to imply that I desire for you to divulge all of your secrets, I only want to perhaps connect with you in a way that close friends often do-"

"Sunrises are beautiful. Sunsets too," Robin suddenly interjected, startling Starfire into silence. "Fireworks. The perfect martial arts form. The first time I saw the R-Cycle complete. Jump City when it's not under attack. Titans Island. They're all beautiful. The look in your-" the Boy Wonder paused the flow of words erupting from his mouth, like an auto-lock had rammed itself into place in his brain.

"Yes?" Starfire's voice was almost inaudible; she didn't want to break the connection. They were so close, mentally and physically (she's hardly noticed the inches between them diminishing as they'd talked). All he needed was a little encouragement. "I am listening."

"…Nothing. Never mind," Robin shook his head and shifted away from Starfire, the auto-locks firmly in place and holding their ground. "It's almost time for morning training. Could you go warm up the obstacle course while I go round up the rest of the team?" The moment was long gone and Starfire seemed to realize this. Even so, she couldn't resist one last try.

"There is nothing else you find to be beautiful?"

Robin pushed himself to his feet, almost physically dodging the question, "Another time, Starfire. We have to train. It's our duty to this city." Without giving her a chance to respond, the Boy Wonder walked coolly to the door leading to the interior of the Tower.

Starfire remained sitting, watching the sun's golden glow bask Jump City. Beautiful Jump City.

"Are you always so cold, Robin?" The alien girl sighed with defeat and slipped off the edge of the Tower, descending slowly to the Island's only training course at the time (Cyborg was designing new ones to be installed _soon_, supposedly). Starfire's feet grazed the glimmering chromes flooring of the training course's master control platform, already mentally going over the most recent statistics of each Titan and programming the machine accordingly. Perhaps she should speak to Raven about the morning's encounter.

…Then again, maybe not.

--

_There's always something more you wish he'd say.  
_-**Everything You Want/Vertical Horizon-**


	8. Smell

**Prompt 8: **Smell  
_Set just after 'Betrayal'._

--

Terra had not liked the chapel the first time Slade had brought her there. Actually, she'd _hated _it. It was dark and dirty and smelled like rotten eggs. Slade had said that her powers would light her way, she wouldn't get dirty if she learned to manipulate earth correctly, and the rotten egg smell was sulfur from volcanic activity underground and she'd get used to it.

Slade wasn't very good at making her feel better about the chapel. Or anything, really. But that didn't matter. What did matter was that Terra couldn't control her powers for what her life was worth, and Slade had been the _only_ one who could help her. She's asked her teacher lots of questions and quickly learned that Slade was not the type who liked questions. Or complaints. He really hated complaints. So in addition to earth moving, Terra also learned to shut up about the icky smell of sulfer. And a lot of other things too.

She got lonely a lot though.

Then finally, _finally_ she was allowed to go back to the Titans with confidence in her abilities…and two tiny electronic camera contacts in her pretty blue eyes. They'd welcomed her back with open arms (with the exception of Raven, who got over herself eventually), and Terra felt like she was home. Clean, bright, pretty smelling home. Even the odors from Beast Boy's room that Raven was always complaining about had nothing on the rotten eggs that still lingered in the back of Terra's head.

And then it all fell apart. Everything. She thought she'd found friends, family, a home. She thought she'd found a place where she wouldn't be judged no matter what she did, even if it was _really_ bad.

She'd thought wrong.

Terra stood once again in the damp, cold chapel that Slade had kept her in during her training, and this time she wasn't cringing. The darkness lived in her, the dirt was no longer a meaningless clinging annoyance but a means of ultimate destruction. And the rotten eggs? The smell of sulfur that invaded every little bit of the chapel?

The earth mover inhaled deeply.

It smelled like power, and it intoxicated her.

--

_Are you ready for me?  
_**-Shed My Skin/Alter Bridge-**


	9. Shape

**Prompt 9: **Shape

_--_

Maybe it had been a joke. Maybe it had been just a little, playful remark.

It still hurt. Enough to make Terra punch Beast Boy squarely in the jaw and leave the rest of the Titans in a stunned silence as she exited the living room.

In theory, she should be over it. They'd all forgiven her, and over the past few months, she'd enjoyed being a Titan again. But Terra was ashamed of what she'd done, and when Beast Boy had said something kidding and stupid and thoughtless about how maybe she should just go join Slade and try to kill them all again if she didn't like his vegan waffles, she'd snapped.

Barricading herself in her room was the only thing she could think to do. They'd all come by to check on her: Raven, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg. All but Beast Boy. And shouldn't he have been the first to come after her? Shouldn't he have been at the head of the pack, trying to knock down her door and apologize? Didn't he realize how saying stuff like that that made her feel? He was _only_ her boyfriend. He was _only _her best friend. No big deal right?

It had been an hour, and no Beast Boy. It sure _felt_ like a big deal.

And then she heard it. Faintly, at first, then louder…

"Baby, please try to forgive me…"

Terra's eyes widened and she raced to her window. The music was coming closer, the sound was getting louder. Suddenly Beast Boy himself appeared before the glass, standing on a hovering platform that Terra recognized from one of Cyborg's new airborne obstacle courses.

"_Hold me now don't bother if every minute it makes me weaker, you can save me from the man that I've become_…"

"Beast Boy! What're you _doing?_" Now that she'd thrown the window open, Terra was suddenly acutely aware that the volume just kept getting louder. And _louder._ "You're gonna wake up the whole _city!_"

He grinned widely but didn't stop. And the singing…it really wasn't good.

"LOOKING BACK ON THE THINGS I'VE DONE, I WAS TRYING TO BE SOMEONE, I PLAYED MY PART_…_" Beast Boy paused suddenly, eyes wide and confused. "Something…about a park…in the…dark?" And then he was back on track, "_SO LET ME SHOWWW YOU THE SHAAAPE OF MY HEAAART!"_

"_Beast Boy!_" Terra had leapt from the window and onto the platform, which was now practically nudging at her windowsill. "Why…what…?"

"You like this song, right?" Beast Boy had a mischievous glint in his eye, his performance over. "I never took you for a closet Backstreet Boys fan…"

"I'm…I'm not…" Terra protested weakly, but the embarrassed blush creeping across her cheeks betrayed her. "How did you…?"

"Cyborg found a burned CD labled 'Christmas Music' with this song in the computer a week ago. You were the logged user who ran the disk." Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Of course, Cy said it with a lot of weird techno lingo, but I cut out all the boring parts because I didn't really get it."

"So you just…"

"Borrowed the new training course to say I'm sorry? Yep!" He looked so proud of himself. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Just to say you're sorry?"

"What I said was…pretty bad. And I didn't mean it."

Terra shook her head. "Don't…don't worry about it. I might've been…overly sensitive."

"Yeah, well, I'm also sorry it took so long. I almost crashed the course into the kitchen while programming the coordinates. Finally Cy kicked me off the controls and did it for me."

"You could've just come to my door, y'know. I'm not really picky."

Beast Boy shook his head. "Not enough. Not for you. And besides, then I wouldn't have been able to make myself look stupid in front of all of Jump City."

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Terra consoled him, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek.

"Aww, just the cheek? C'mon, Terra, do you want me to do the song all over again?"

"No, Beast Boy-"

And then he was off again, singing at the top of his lungs.

"_LOOKING BACK ON THE THINGS I'VE DONE, I WAS TRYING TO BE SOMEONE, I PLAYED MY PART, PARK DARK LARK FAAART, NOW LET ME SHOOOW YOU THE SHAAAPE OF MY HEAAART!"_

_--_

_Loneliness is tragical.  
_**-Shape of My Heart/Backstreet Boys-**


	10. Star

**Prompt 10:** Star

_--_

He knows that she always wanted to be a star.

At first, it was all about being at the top of her class at the HIVE Academy. Jinx had succeeded admirably, until she was forced to redo her training after losing to the Titans.

Failure.

Then it was leading the HIVE Five to infamy. It wasn't really her fault that they never made it past petty crimes; everyone knew the team was a disaster. But she took it to heart.

Failure.

The Brotherhood of Evil came along, taking over her mind like a bad pop song. All day, every day, it was "We have to prove it, guys! We need to show them that we're good enough!" She wanted to shine, but Madam Rouge had crushed her dreams with a mere sentence.

Failure.

And then there was Kid Flash, who offered her a smile and a chance. And suddenly she was soaring like never before, fighting better, smiling more, capturing the people she once wanted to impress with a newfound inner strength.

Success. Finally, success.

She's finally the star she always wanted to be, both in the Titans' eyes and Kid Flash's.

SeeMore wants to be happy for her.

But he isn't.

--

_Like you imagined when you were young.  
_**-When You Were Young/The Killers-**


	11. Water

**Prompt 11: **Water  
_Set just after the foreshadowed mall trip that ended 'Switched'._

--

The silence was deafening.

Starfire was not accustomed to this. Tamaran had never been a quiet planet, what with all the wars and emotionally exuberant inhabitants, and Titans Tower had never been much better. Living with three super powered teenage boys didn't exactly allow for a noiseless lifestyle.

Raven, on the other hand, found comfort in the quiet. Azarath had been a place of solitary meditation and self-reflection, and she had managed to continue this pattern even now, generally by removing herself from all Titan activity when her presence wasn't absolutely necessary.

But this time was different. This time, Starfire would have to swallow her vivacious impatience and wait out her friend in the silence that the situation required. This time, Raven would have to let her voice be heard.

It was something neither was familiar with, and yet they'd come to the conclusion that such a practice might just be a vital element to the team, as well as their friendship. They'd almost fallen at the hands of the Puppet King because they couldn't understand one another, couldn't cope with their differences in their shared ignorance. Only once they'd each offered a bit of themselves to the other in that dark, dirty alley had they finally connected, finally managed to begin bridging the massive gap that lay between them.

And from then on, they'd agreed to meet each other half way.

They sat opposite from one another in Raven's dark room, candlelight barely illuminating their surroundings and casting long shadows along the floor and walls. This was it, the hard part. Raven and Starfire had promised one another nothing short of full disclosure, and not of the Glazed-Over, We're-In-Danger, Alleyway variety. The alien princess was familiar with such communication and thus had opted to go first. She openly spoke of her life on Tamaran, of being given over as a peace offering, abused and tortured within an inch of her life, kidnapped and experimented on, and sold into slavery. As she described all these things, Raven wondered how her friend could still manage to smile the way she did.

And suddenly it was her turn. To speak. About a life she'd locked away when she'd joined the Titans. About a father she was always trying to forget but was cursed to remember. And there was nothing but an empty silence.

Starfire saw the half-demon's hesitation; felt her discomfort. She put a hand over Raven's and smiled softly. Raven had never felt closer to anyone than she did to Starfire at that very moment.

"Please," Starfire whispered, "You can trust me."

Raven spoke then. Slowly at first, but with each breath her voice strengthened. Raven spoke to Starfire as she had never spoken to anyone before. And when the words finally came, they flowed like water.

--

_I'll be your crying shoulder.  
_**-I'll Be/Edwin McCain-**


	12. Sound

**Prompt 12:** Sound

--

His spoken words drown out his almost silent thoughts.

She watches as his face contorts, trying desperately to portray one emotion while feeling another. His lips say something harsh, something cold, but his eyes say he needs her more than ever. Sometimes she doesn't know what she's supposed to listen to: what he vocalizes or what he internalizes. More times she wonders how she's gotten by as long as she has without knowing.

It hurts. Every spoken word hurts more than the last, even if she knows these words mean nothing, even if the whispers from beneath the voice are there to catch her free-falling feelings. She tries to ignore the endless noise, desperately seeking out the comfort of the softer tones she knows are there but has trouble finding. Sometimes she wonders whether or not together they've created their own form of dementia.

_It shouldn't be this hard._

Together. It's a word neither he nor she uses often, but when they do they both like how it sounds.

There's so much uncertainty between them, so much which has yet to be explained. But maybe that's both the beauty and the curse of their relationship: nothing is definite. Sometimes it's a blessing. More often, it drives them both insane. She can't decide whether she loves it or hates it.

He chooses not to think about it, and she knows this.

She's scared to death of losing him, but she's more frightened by the prospect of drawing him too close. Because that might mean trusting him, and trusting him is not something she's sure she can allow herself to do. She's scared of that too.

He's just as scared as she is, but it's not something he'll admit to anyone, sometimes not even to himself. He's scared of what she does to him, how she affects him the way she does. Screwing this up could mean the end of more than he even wants to acknowledge exists, and he's not so sure he can handle that.

Sometimes they both just ignore the sound of his voice in favor of the silence.

(RobxStar)

--  
_  
And I can't live alone in this life.  
_**-Love Will Come Through/Travis-**


	13. Princess

**Prompt 13: **Princess

--

From the very moment she was born, Starfire was a princess. And from that moment on she was treated as such.

They would dress her in the finest of clothes, provide her with delicacies from all across the universe, and wait on her hand and foot. She was royalty all of her days on Tamaran, and she became accustomed to such treatment. The people loved her, shouted her name heartily as she passed them in the streets with her family.

"Princess!" They would shout at her, waving their arms and cheering, not a single face without a smile. "It's the beautiful Princess Starfire!"

She was taught the ways of war by the finest teachers in any given galaxy, the Warlords of Okaara, and they bowed at her feet when she came and went for her lessons. They instructed her more carefully than any of their other students, and praised her more enthusiastically when she demonstrated her craft with all the grace, beauty, and passion that any proper princess should. Starfire was a princess, and that was that.

But then the warriors of the Citadel came and raped the lands of Tamaran, overtaking vast cities, ravaging homes, slaughtering the innocent, and tarnishing the natural beauty that once thrived across the entirety of the planet. And when the Tamaranians fell and admitted defeat, wishing to salvage what was left of a broken people, the Citadel chose Starfire as their prize.

She cried and begged her father to protect her, to stop them from taking her away and giving her over to what would most certainly be a living hell for the rest of her life. When he stiffly refused, his face was stony and cold but his eyes betrayed him with a tear. Starfire asked him why she had to do it; why she was being forced to live out such a terrifying fate, especially by people who supposedly loved her.

"You are sacrificing yourself for your people," he responded softly, almost regretfully, his gaze fixated on the ground, "because you are a princess."

--

_I'll try to bring more, more than I can handle.  
_**-World on Fire/Sarah McLachlan-**


	14. Broken

**Prompt 14:** Broken  
_Set a couple hours before the beginning of 'Betrothed'._

--

Cyborg didn't expect to see her up this early. Raven, maybe. But Starfire? Four in the morning never really seemed like something that would appeal to her. Hell, he'd only crawled out of bed to chow down on some food and just happened to notice the hall lights leading to the training room had been switched on, and that girl liked her sleep where she could get it, especially with the sun powering her starbolts.

But she wasn't using her powers, he noticed, gazing at her from the glass pained observation deck above the Titan's training room with his hand buried in a bag full of chips. Not the ones that required sunlight, anyways. Rather, she was beating a punching bag senseless, pushing it as far as it would go before it snapped back at her, only encouraging another strike.

Cyborg leaned forward ever so slightly, watching as his friend and teammate fought—no, _ravaged_—the punching bag. Something was wrong. The half-robot had certainly seen Starfire train before, especially with punching bags. But there was something different about the way she was going at it this morning. There was an empty expression on her face and a vacant, almost unseeing stare. He'd never seen her look quite like that before.

Starfire took a swing at the punching bag that was a bit too much for it to handle, and it exploded before her eyes. She stared at the destroyed equipment before her with a mild sense of shock before shaking her head and moving to the next punching bag and continuing her assault on the new target without much thought. Cyborg devoured a few more chips as he watched his friend tear apart the second punching bag with the same hollow, unconcerned nature dictating her vicious blows.

There was nothing familiar about the powerful mechanical movements of the alien girl Cyborg hardly recognized below him.

The half robot noticed something flashing on one of the tables and tore his gaze away from the scene to search for the light that had caught his attention. A communicator lay open on the smooth chrome surface, and judging by the small, standard issue cell phone decal flower on one of the bright yellow edges, it belonged to Starfire. Cyborg moved to pick up the communicator and take a closer look.

Three words were displayed on the screen: _RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY._

Cyborg's eyes widened at the message. A tiny pulsating arrow indicated that there was more to it, but reading any further felt too invasive. He carefully put the communicator back where he found it and returned to the observation window. Starfire was beating away at her third bag now. Her knuckles were bloodied and shredded at best. And if Cyborg's magnified vision wasn't mistaken, the beginnings of a tear she refused to let fall lingered in the corner of her eye.

She punched and punched and punched.

--

_I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand._  
**-Let Me Go/Three Doors Down-**


	15. Sixth Sense

**Prompt 15: **Sixth Sense  
_Set a day prior to 'Switched'._

--

On a lovely Tuesday morning in May, Raven strode into the living room and whacked Beast Boy firmly across the upper back of his head.

"_OW!_" The changeling immediately released the controller he'd been holding upon impact and moved his hands to clutch his now throbbing crown. "Hey! You made me lose my race!"

"How heartbreaking," Raven shot back, retreating back into the hallway that lead to her room just as quickly and suddenly as she'd entered. Entirely bewildered by the situation, Beast Boy jumped out of his nearly constant place on the couch (he often proudly proclaimed that he'd left his very own permanent butt indent in the leather surface) and caught up to his teammate, grabbing her arm before she could turn the corner of the hall.

"Rae, what was that for?"

"Let me go," the empath instructed darkly, "and don't call me Rae."

"Fine _Raven_, what was that for?" Beast Boy showed no signs of releasing her, so she yanked her elbow out of his grasp.

"Someone went into my room and played with some of my cloaks."

"And you think it was _me?_ Dude, talk about guilty until proven innocent!" A faint humming noise permeated the conversation, but the two Titans chose to ignore it in favor of continuing their argument.

"Call it a sixth sense," Raven spat, glaring.

"I didn't do anything! I swear! Just…stop _looking_ at me like that!"

"Like what? Like you went into my room and decided to play sci-fi prophet with my personal clothing?"

"…_Yeah!_ Like that!"

"I _know_ you did, Beast Boy!"

"I _didn't_, geez! Just lay off!"

Suddenly the humming got considerably louder as a figure turned the corner of the hallway and came running at the arguing pair, identifiable only by a dark blue cloak…and flaming red hair.

"…Starfire?" Beast Boy and Raven questioned in unity, and suddenly the oddly moving figure stopped dead in its tracks with a tiny but audible "_Eep!_" in place of the previous humming. The figure raised her head slowly and guiltily, her face as red as her hair.

"Friends! It is…lovely to see you!" Starfire looked down at the very identifiable cloak that Raven seemed to be gaping at, then back up at her empathic partner with wide eyes. "Raven! I…believed you to be out procuring your favorite tea…that is…I mean…" the alien girl hung her head. "I apologize."

"Starfire," Raven stole a look at a smirking Beast Boy, "you're wearing my cloak."

"Captain Obvious saves the day!" the changeling interjected smugly, raising a finger into the air. "See, Raven? I can do sarcasm too."

"I am…sorry, friend Raven. I simply…you always seem so comfortable in them, and I was hoping that perhaps I might attempt to know what it is like to be you…and I must admit that they are rather soft and also very durable…" Starfire fell into silence when she realized that nothing she could say would fix the situation. "I will go return your cloak to your room immediately. Forgive me." With that, she removed the blue garment from her slim frame and flew off in the direction of Raven's room, with the empath looking after her incredulously.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, seemed positively dandy as he made his way back to the living room. His voice trailed down the hall as he went.

"Sixth sense my _butt._"

--

_Why do you have to be so damn clever?_  
**-So Damn Clever/Plain White T's-**


	16. Sight

**Prompt 16: **Sight

--

"Hey…hey Robin!"

"What is it, Beast Boy?"

"I'm bored."

"_Shh_. We shouldn't talk. It could give away our position."

"Oh. Sorry, dude."

Silence.

"…Hey, Robin?"

Thirty seconds into the stakeout, and Robin was already regretting his decision to position himself with Beast Boy.

There hadn't been much of a choice, really. Preparation for Dr. Light took very specific tactical arrangement. Cyborg had to be on the roof of the Power Plant, otherwise he wouldn't be able to properly scan the surrounding area for electrical surges, potentially indicating the presence of the villain obsessed with luminosity. Starfire and Raven were airborne, hidden in the various shadows of the angular building's contours; they alone were suited for sustained flight without tiring out, and there was a lot of ground to cover.

That left Beast Boy and Robin to crouch behind the large stone slab indicating that the relatively new power plant was constructed in memory of Jump City's late Mayor Dean Vaughn, guarding the main gates.

Thirty seconds into the stakeout, and Robin already wanted to gut something.

"_What_, Beast Boy?" He shot a glare at the changeling, hoping his teammate would get the hint.

"Why do you always wear that mask?"

"I already told you we shouldn't be talking."

"But-"

Robin put a finger up to his lips to shush his stakeout partner.

Silence.

For moments. Sweet moments.

"Robin, why won't you take your mask off in front of us?" The Boy Wonder sighed at Beast Boy's question, deciding that maybe answering was the solution to ending the conversation.

"It protects my identity."

"Oh," Beast Boy thought about this for a moment. "But how do you even see through that thing? Especially late at night like this. It's gotta be kinda hazy."

Robin sighed as softly as he could, "It's a special design."

"Y'know, I always sorta thought your mask made your face look like a soulless vortex. I mean, people always say eyes are the windows into your soul, right?"

"_Beast Boy,_" Robin hissed at his teammate, "stop talking. We're supposed to be on a stakeout."

"What? It's not like Dr. Light's here yet, and it's not like Raven can't pull an evil tentacle move thingy and shut him down fast, so…"

"He stole a powerful suit from S.T.A.R. Labs, which means that Raven might not be able to stop him so easily this time," Robin whispered, crossing his arms defiantly. "This conversation is over."

Silence.

"…If I poked you in the eye, would it hurt?"

Robin ignored the changeling, which only fueled the desire to find out. As stealthily as he could manage, Beast Boy leaned towards the Titan leader and slowly extended a finger towards the masked eyes.

Robin swatted the appendage away just shy of a centimeter from his face.

"_Ow._"

"Stop distracting from the mission."

"I'm just trying to pass the time, okay? I'm bored," Beast Boy finished his statement with an annoyed grunt.

"…What's with all the questions about my mask, anyways?"

"_Now_ who's talking?"

"Just answer the question."

"I guess…I just wish you trusted us more, that's all."

Robin raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"Usually heroes have a secret identity to protect their friends and family from becoming targets. But," Beast Boy shook his head, "I don't know, I always thought that maybe the Titans should know the identity of their leader and friend, y'know? You can see everyone all the time, but no one can really see you."

"There's more to sight than seeing," Robin commented. The changeling beside him looked annoyed.

"Aw, c'mon Rob, don't give me that True Master crap. You're one of my best friends, and I don't even know what color your eyes are."

Robin had nothing to say in response. And for the first time since the stakeout began, the pair sat through ten consecutive minutes of silence. The only sound that could be heard was a faint _whoosh_ when Starfire and Raven altered positions in the sky.

Suddenly, a voice buzzed softly in Robin's ear; someone was talking into the com units. It was Cyborg.

"Target acquired. Titans, Light's headed this way. He'll be here in ten…nine…eight…"

"Hey Robin?"

"What is it, Beast Boy?"

"…four…three…"

The changeling grinned, "I betcha have a crazy mask tan."

"ONE."

A brilliant flash flooded the power plant's grounds, and the Titans leapt into action.

--

_Words are very unnecessary; they can only do harm.  
_**-Enjoy the Silence/Depeche Mode-**


	17. Choices

**Prompt 17: **Choices

--

She could feel Jinx's presence before she even walked through the door.

"What are you doing here?" Raven asked, unable to keep the agitation from her voice at finding her least favorite villain-turned-ally standing in her bedroom. "You of all people should know my distaste for-"

"Me?" Jinx provided with a smirk.

"No, people in my room."

"Damn. I was close, though," the pink haired sorceress waved off the cold tone. "I told Cyborg I needed to see you and he sent me up here."

Raven raised a questioning eyebrow. "Did he say you could _wait inside_ my room?"

"In the hall, in the room, same difference," Jinx shrugged nonchalantly. "Look, I'm not here to argue, alright?"

"Then what _are_ you here for?" A short silence followed Raven's words.

"…I'm sorry."

The empath's eyebrow shot up. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry that," Jinx rolled her eyes, "I went into your room, wore your cloak, kicked you out of and destroyed your home, ate all your food, tried to destroy the city any given number of times, kicked your ass, made fun of you that time at the mall, caused you…" the pink haired sorceress had been ticking the offenses off on her fingers one by one as she spoke, but she paused for a moment as though she were trying to recall the right phrase to use, "…physical or mental stress of any kind, lowered your team moral on occasion, and caused other…acts of criminal misconduct that might've interrupted an otherwise…uh…peaceful day." Jinx tilted her head to the side for a moment, realizing that she had run out of fingers to count on.

"How many times have you rehearsed that?" Raven finally asked after a stretch of silence in which she attempted to comprehend what she'd just heard.

Jinx's forehead wrinkled with frustration. "A couple."

"You should've practiced more," the empath commented, striding over to her closet and stowing her cloak on a hanger. "You made choices. Bad ones. That's all there is to it."

"The point is that I'm sorry for making them."

"Okay."

"I regret making them."

"No you don't." Jinx seemed surprised by the response she recieved, then smirked again.

"No, I don't."

"So why are you here Jinx?" Raven had settled into a comfortable meditation position on her bed and regarded the pink haired sorceress with a critical stare.

"Kid Flash said I should be," Jinx replied with a sigh, leaning against the far wall with her arms crossed over her chest. "It's part of his 12 Step Program for me."

"Anti-Alcoholism?"

"Anti-Villainy."

"Of course. It certainly sounds like Kid Flash to encourage you to make amends," Raven nodded as she spoke.

"It was my choice to come, though. And I did."

Silence.

"If you're finished, I'd like to meditate now."

Sensing that there was nothing more she could say, Jinx crossed the room towards the door and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as the door slid open in front of her. Suddenly she looked back.

"I really am sorry, Raven."

The empath was already meditating peacefully in midair, but she cracked an eye open to issue a curt reply.

"I know."

--

_Just because I'm sorry doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it at the time.  
_**-Chocolate/Snow Patrol-**


End file.
